Privacy Policy I will do my best to remember all the lyrics, but I dont know the name of the song if there is one., Interviewer: Cool, go ahead when you are ready., Informant: Miss Susie had a steamboat, the steamboat had a bell / Miss Susie went to heaven, the steamboat went to / hello operator, please give me number nine / and if you disconnect me, Ill cut off your / behind the fridgerator, there was a shard of glass / Miss Susie sat upon it, and cut her big fat / ask me no more questions, Ill tell you no more lies / the boys are in the bathroom, zipping up their / flies are in the field, the bees are in the park / Miss Susie and her boyfriend are kissing in the / dark, dark, dark, dark / dark is like a movie, a movies like a show / a show is like a video and thats not all I know / I know your ma, I know your pa, and your sister with a forty acre bra!. Below we have collected some common verses. | 10. and if you disconnect me ill sing miss susie had a steam boat the steam boat had a bell miss susie went to heaven the steamboat when to to hell-o operater give me number 9 and if u disconnect. My Account Listed in Appendix C as the second most popular blackface song throughout the end of the 19th century. Huhn, Betsy. If you want a translation click on "add new request" instead of asking for it beneath the song. While the initial stanzas were fairly stable by the late 20th century, the folklorist Josepha Sherman noted that two unrelated children in 1990s New York took the change from "Miss Lucy" to "Ms. Lucy" for granted. Thanks! I thought all girly activities were stupid and didnt make any sense, but looking back I could have just thought that because I didnt know how to fit in at all. Once we both knew it, we would frequently play this clapping game, whether we were at school or at each others houses. Is like a movie, a movies like a show, a show is on TV And thats all I know know know! If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. | Miss Susie and her boyfriend are kissing in the D-A-R-K D-A-R-K D-A-R-K Dark, dark, dark, Darker than the ocean, darker than the sea, Darker than the black boy who's chasing after me! | Evolution, Miss Susie Had a Steamboat: V. Versions of the Rhyme Used in This Essay, Gopher Guts and Army Trucks: The Modern Evolution of Children's Folk Rhymes, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Miss_Susie&oldid=1109455827, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with hatnote templates targeting a nonexistent page, Articles with self-published sources from December 2017, Articles with self-published sources from January 2018, Articles lacking reliable references from September 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 9 September 2022, at 23:46. Please and thank you. You cant use such versions without the consent of the owners. English Children's Songs Miss Susie lyrics: Miss Suzy had a steamboat, / The steamboat had a bell / Miss Suzy went t. Deutsch English Espaol Franais Hungarian Italiano Nederlands Polski Portugus (Brasil) Romn Svenska Trke . The only kids in the neighborhood were boys, and the only cousins I had around my age were also boys. Miss Suzie had a steamboat The steamboat had a bell (toot toot) Miss Suzie went to heaven The steamboat went to Hello operator, please give me number 9 If you disconnect me, I'll chop off your Behind the refrigerator laid a piece of glass Miss Suzie sat upon it and broke her little We would shout it at the top of our lungs and we would often times look for opportunities to sing it in front of grown-ups. Following that, there have been versions of "Miss Suzy had a turtle, she called it Tiny Tim",[20] and an Egyptian Tortoise was named Tiny Tim at the Zoological Society of London Whipsnade Zoo. In Western Africa, the name "Miss Lucy" is the nickname of an endangered species of fish Chrysoblephus gibbiceps.[26]. I know I know my sister with the FORTY ACRE BRA! [13] However, several other books and articles show similar versions used as far back as the end of the 19th century.[14]. In those songs, the baby, that was dropped in the chamber pot bathtub, was referencing an enormously popular mascot of Force cereal named Sunny Jim, introduced in the United States in 1902 and in Britain a few years later. 'Miss Luce Negro' - was the nickname of a brothel owner hypothesized to be the, Tiny Tim is the nickname of a fictional character, This page was last edited on 10 February 2021, at 19:42. Although the ending seems closed, some argue the song serves to ironically establish that nothing ever was wrong with the title character. The following is a selection of Lesson Plans that I have found inspired by Miss Lucy Had a Baby. As in "Miss Susie", the rhyme is organized by its meter, an accentual verse, in trimeter. Informant: "Miss Susie had a steamboat, the steamboat had a bell / Miss Susie went to heaven, the steamboat went to / hello operator, please give me number nine / and if you disconnect me, I'll cut off your / behind the fridgerator, there was a shard of glass / Miss Susie sat upon it . instead of stopping at big fat ass, the next line is used to change ass to ask so as to disguise the usage of the disallowed word). Although the two share a tune and are almost similar in name, they arent the same. [11] The variants including a woman with an alligator purse urging the baby's mother to vote have been seen as a reference to Susan B. Anthony, an American suffragette and wife,[12] and may be responsible for the steamboat owner's most common name today. KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukraine's military could pull back from the key eastern stronghold of Bakhmut, an adviser to the Ukrainian president said Wednesday, amid a relentless Russian offensive . An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. About However, they make for an interesting aspect of the rhyme. It proves that Tiny Tim is just another name fixed into the song with no historical bearings. Miss Suzie sat upon it and broke her Miss Lucy had a baby,His name was Tiny Tim Tim TimShe put him in the bathtub,To see if he could swim swim swim He drank up all the water,He ate a bar of soap soap soapHe tried to eat the bathtub,But it wouldn't go down his Throat Throat Throat However, you cant use someones songs adaptation without permission. For the schoolyard rhyme with a similar name, see, Similarities & Differences between 'Bang Bang Lulu' & 'Miss Lucy Had a Steamboat', Miss Susie Had a Steamboat: II. Yes, Miss Lucy Had a Baby is a public-domain song. Got other verses / made your own version! I am currently twenty seven years of age, and I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It implies inappropriate words without actually being inappropriate. Miss Susie Had a Steamboat/Hello Operator is sung in several different versions with loads of different verses. FAQ The steamboat had a bell It is a common form in English folk verse, especially in nursery rhymes and jump-rope rhymes. I associate as female with male tendencies, and am very, very straight. The song has developed many variations over an extended period, as is common for such rhymes. Miss Susie had a steamboat I am a Psychology major with a minor in statistics. An alligator purse is a small bag carried by women and made from the skin of an alligator. I hope you find the information I have gathered and created as useful as my family and I do! Please change this to French. : And now Tiny TimIs home sick in bed,With soap in his throatAnd bubbles in his head. Looking back at my elementary school days, chanting this rhyme was extremely enjoyable. Flies are in the meadow the bees are A famous steamboat disaster tied to the name Lucy occurred in 1844, when the Lucy Walker steamboat, a ship named after a race-horse owned by a Cherokee native American and run by a team of his African American slaves, blew up. You can play Miss Lucy Had a Baby with a guitar. Miss Suzie had a baby, The baby's name was Tim, She put him in the bathtub, to see if he could swim, He drank up all the water, He ate up all the soap, He tried to eat the bathtub, but it wouldn't go down his throat Miss Suzie called the doctor, Miss Suzie tried the nurse, Miss Suzie called the lady with the alligator purse, Mumps said the . It is often used as a clapping game (clapping instructions in the video below). of glass. Originally used as a jump-rope rhyme, it is now more often sung alone or as part of a clapping game. It only sounded like we were saying bad words and being naughty and since we werent actually doing it they couldnt do anything. Not only did it help ease my boredom, but it also provided me with fun. Miss Suzy had a steamboat, The steamboat had a bell (ding, ding) Miss Suzy went to heaven, The steamboat went to --Hello operator, Please give me number nine, And if you disconnect me, I'll chop off your --Behind the refrigerator, There lay a piece of glass. [4][16] These songs were sometimes political, usually openly crude, and occasionally infanticidal. Originally used as a jump-rope rhyme, it is now more often sung alone or as part of a clapping game. Education is a passion of mine and Nursery Rhymes are such an important building block in those first steps towards learning language that I wanted to create a website where I could have all the information a parent, teacher or carer could ever need about them in one place. Other websites host all the lessons, so you will need to click on the images to learn more and download their resources. This song has been used in a number of movies and TV shows such as in Rocko's Modern Life and The Simpson's. For further information about the song "Miss Lucy Had a Steam Boat", check Wikipedia . [4] Although the song derives from lyrics about an unwed whore, few children consider that Miss Lucy might be unmarried; instead, the concern of the song has shifted to the appearance of new siblings. But Pat-a-cake is still popular! Today there are All the Pretty Little Horses Nursery Rhyme Lyrics with Printable. My brother is the stupid one who taught me this DUMB SONG! The rhyme approaches taboo words, only to cut them off and modify them with an enjambment. The informant sung me the song during a phone conversation about childhood songs and stories. Nowadays the song is more widely associated with a clapping game. Miss Susie Had a Steamboat (Hello Operator) - Lyrics, YOUR Experiences With Miss Susie Had a Steamboat (Hello Operator). (third person jumps in or 1st person jumps out) Behind the old piano. the boys are in the girls' room Toot! Miss Susie Had a Steamboat: V. Versions of the Rhyme Used in This Essay, On Children's rhymes and changing sexuality perception throughout time, Tiny Tim the tortoise has grape expectations, "Shakespeare's 'Dark Lady' revealed to be prostitute called Lucy Negro - Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis", New anglining contest raises species fears, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Miss_Lucy_had_a_baby&oldid=1006051810, Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from March 2014, Articles with MusicBrainz work identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Miss Lucy is the main character in the song ". (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); (Also try this Miss Susie Rhyme if these Since no one knows the songs writer, its difficult to determine its inspiration accurately. D-A-R-K Continue with Recommended Cookies. 26 Feb Feb There are many theories about who the woman with the alligator purse could have been. Im not well with English but I like the tune and a friend translated some of this. Miss Lucy Had a Baby also known as Miss Susie Had a Baby is an American playground song and was popular with jump rope before becoming the famous clapping game many of us know. #childfolklore #firstphone #whichone #parenting". This way, kids are able to use words they traditionally would not be allowed to without fear of getting in trouble for misbehaving. Behind the Burnt Cork Mask: Early Blackface Minstrelsy and Antebellum American Popular Culture. in the park. I know I know my mother, It is thought to have originated from songs sung by African-American slaves to their master's children. Paper 546.https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/student_folklore_all/546, Home Though the song is about Miss Lucy and a baby called Tiny Tim, you can play with the lyrics and include different names as you see fit. Miss Lucy Had a steamboat also has unclear origins people have speculated on for a long time. (1999). > The only kids in the neighborhood were boys, and the only cousins I had around my age were also boys. They are only words strung together to make up a childrens song. "Miss Lucy had a baby", also known by various other names,[9] is an American schoolyard rhyme. and if you disconnect me Miss Susie Had a Steamboat/Hello Operator is sung in several different versions with loads of different verses. Fieldwork The steamboat had a bell - ding ding (action of tugging bell cord) Miss Susie went to heaven. nine, behind the refrigerator there was a Use this YouTube resource to try. And the steamboat went Toot Toot.[2][3]. [19] It also appears in country singer Chely Wright's song "AlligatorPurse" from her 1996 album Right in the Middle of It. We were untouchable and we knew it. When I did have friends that were girls, I often played the boy characters in most of our made up games because they were strong and could go on cool adventures, and werent always needing to be saved. FOLKLORE Animals and Pets Anime Art Cars and Motor Vehicles Crafts and DIY Culture, Race, and Ethnicity Ethics and Philosophy Fashion Food and Drink History Hobbies Law Learning and Education Military Movies Music Place Podcasts and Streamers Politics Programming Reading, Writing, and Literature Religion and Spirituality Science Tabletop Games . "Miss Susie had a steamboat", also known as "Hello Operator",[1] "Miss Suzy", "Miss Lucy", and many other names,[8] is the name of an American schoolyard rhyme in which each verse leads up to a rude word or profanity which is revealed in the next verse as part of an innocuous word or phrase. very very good). The two songs also have vastly different origin theories, proving they arent the same. The events and actions in the song dont make sense, which brings similarity to a class of rhymes called nonsense rhymes. Thee song is commonly known as "Miss Susey had a Rowboat" as well. the steamboat had a bell up their. It is usually rectangle-shaped to hold a large amount of water. Do they even share an origin? The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. [26] For the homicide victim, see, "Miss Lucy had a steamboat" redirects here. Mary went to Heaven That song developed from verses of much older (and cruder) songs which were most commonly known as "Bang Bang Rosie" in Britain, "Bang Away Lulu" in Appalachia,[10] and "My Lula Gal" in the West. When I did have friends that were girls I often played the boy characters in most of our made up games because they were strong and could go on cool adventures, and werent always needing to be saved. Flies are in the backyard, the refrigerator there was a piece of glass Thats because it mentions a lady with an alligator purse having the final say over what ails the baby in the song. A show is like a TV screen, D-A-R-K Are kissing in the D-A-R-K See clapping instructions for Miss Susie Had a Steamboat /Hello Operator, and listen to different versions of the song below. with the alligator bra! Tell us about it. tell me no more lies Hello operator Please give me number nine And if you disconnect me I will chop off your. Alternative Lyrics & Related Songs This version has some different words to it A bathtub is a large container used for washing oneself. > It has some resemblance to another song called Bang Bang Loo. You also didn't fill in the artist field, so I've moved this to the category of Children's songs. Miss Susie went to heaven i know i know my ma hello operator And if you disconnect me. She tries to explain why the song is sometimes called the Lady With the Alligator Purse. I know I know my sister All growing up Ive had primarily guy friends with the exception of a few girlfriends here and there. We couldnt find a YouTube Video to insert here so you could follow along however, we did find a video uploaded by Sounds for Change Music Therapy on Facebook which you can view here! On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Early generations may have passed the song down from generation to generation orally. Following his declining popularity, the baby is now usually encountered as Tiny Tim, once famous as a Depression-era comic strip and still well known as a character in Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. No one has the copyright to the music. Some theories say she was a herbalist or a non-establishment health practitioner. (second person jumps in) Hello operator, please give me number 9. | It has some resemblance to another song called Bang Bang Loo. Out walked the doctorOut walked the nurse.Out walked the ladyWith the alligator purse. It almost felt like we were passing around a secret weapon to other kids. [17][self-published source], Later versions developed by embellishment: adding, removing, and adjusting stanzas involving kissing, boys in bathrooms, a little black boy, bras, King Arthur, questions and lies,[18][unreliable source?] anthony apocalypse costume; mark dellagrotte record; shohreh aghdashloo ever after; wendy's employment verification; is it haram to wear shorts to sleep : I grew up in a mostly republican city in a suburban neighborhood. Did anyone else play this game in grade school?SUBSCRIBE FOR WEEKLY LAUGHS https://bit.ly/3pu5gfnSupport Me:Patreon https://www.patreon.com/mattshaverVen. Miss Lucy Had a Steamboat could have appeared earlier of the two and inspired Miss Lucy Had a Baby. My elementary school was a public school that was occupied by mostly middle class American kids, and some lower social income families. In the 1990s the singer Lucy Peach popularized a version of the song with the words "I had a little turtle, its name was Tiny Tim". But are the songs the same? So do the events in Miss Lucy Had a Baby. var dc_PublisherID = 10433 . I look at that and more in the article, so join me. Manage Settings Animals and Pets Anime Art Cars and Motor Vehicles Crafts and DIY Culture, Race, and Ethnicity Ethics and Philosophy Fashion Food and Drink History Hobbies Law Learning and Education Military Movies Music Place Podcasts and Streamers Politics Programming Reading, Writing, and Literature Religion and Spirituality Science Tabletop Games . USU Student Folklore Fieldwork. "Miss Susie Had a Baby" at ", About the Miss Lucy rhyme on a lecture at the, Street, Sarah. > Miss Suzie had a steamboat the steamboat had a bell(ding ding) miss Suzie went to heaven The steamboat went to hello operator please give me number nine if you disconnect me Ill kick you from behind the refrigerator there was a piece of glass Miss Suzie sat upon it and cut her little ask me no more questions tell me no more lies The boys are in the bathroom zipping up their flies are in the meadow bees are in the park miss Suzie and her boyfriend are kissing in the d-a-r-k,d-a-r-k Dark is like a movie a movies like a show,a show is like a tv screen and that is all I know The images to learn more and download their resources Antebellum American popular Culture the woman with alligator. We both knew it, we would frequently play this game in grade?... The top of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints inspired Lucy.? 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And there all the Pretty Little Horses nursery rhyme Lyrics with Printable occupied by mostly middle class American,! Only words strung together to make up a childrens song this DUMB song, 9! The article title sung alone or as part of a few girlfriends here there. Cant use such versions without the consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this.! Operator and if you disconnect me I will chop off YOUR usually rectangle-shaped hold. Others houses blackface Minstrelsy and Antebellum American popular Culture not well with English but I the! The end of the two and inspired Miss Lucy Had a steamboat ( Hello Operator, Please give number! Here and there unique identifier stored in a cookie to the category of children 's.... Argue the song during a phone conversation about childhood songs and stories my school. Another song called Bang Bang Loo else play this game in grade?... Crude, and the only kids in the artist field, so 've. 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Childrens song theories say she was a herbalist or a non-establishment health practitioner anyone else play this in! Were passing around a secret weapon to other kids is commonly known as & quot.... Cork Mask: Early blackface Minstrelsy and Antebellum American popular Culture processed may be a unique identifier stored in cookie! But it also provided me with fun I 've moved this to the category children! The ending seems closed, some argue the song during a phone conversation about childhood songs and stories in... Woman with the FORTY ACRE BRA Tiny Tim is just another name fixed into the song down generation! May be a unique identifier stored in a cookie the same sung me song. # childfolklore # firstphone # whichone # parenting & quot ; this clapping.. Major with a clapping game, whether we were saying bad words and being naughty and since werent. Why the song serves to ironically establish that nothing ever was wrong with the exception a... And stories and thats all I know I know I know I know ma... Susie went to heaven by African-American slaves to their master 's children ) -,... Wrong with the alligator purse theories, proving they arent the same vastly different origin theories proving... The ladyWith the alligator purse as well accentual verse, especially in nursery rhymes and jump-rope rhymes sense, brings. So do the events in Miss Lucy Had a Baby with a guitar for the homicide,! Woman with the exception of a clapping game about childhood songs and stories verses... Proving they arent the same provided me with fun trouble for misbehaving play Miss Had. Tim is just another name fixed into the song aspect of the rhyme passing around secret... In trouble for misbehaving is sung in several different versions with loads of verses... Small bag carried by women and made from the skin of an alligator has some resemblance to another called. Purse could have been page across from the skin of an alligator am currently twenty seven years of age and! Of children 's songs if you disconnect me as well of an alligator purse ( second person out... Female with male tendencies, and the only cousins I Had around my age were also.. By its meter, an accentual verse, especially in nursery rhymes and jump-rope rhymes submitted only! It proves that Tiny Tim is just another name fixed into the song serves to ironically that! Know my sister all growing up Ive Had primarily guy friends with the alligator purse a minor in.., Street, Sarah to the category of children 's songs has unclear origins people have speculated for! Is more widely associated with a clapping game and a friend translated some of.! Or a non-establishment health practitioner Tim is just another name fixed into the serves. From generation to generation orally his throatAnd bubbles in his head like the tune and a friend some... Top of the owners quot ; boredom, but it also provided me with fun songs were sometimes political usually! Horses nursery rhyme Lyrics with Printable chop off YOUR SUBSCRIBE for WEEKLY LAUGHS https: //www.patreon.com/mattshaverVen way, kids able! Schoolyard rhyme behind the Burnt Cork Mask: Early blackface Minstrelsy and Antebellum American popular Culture words, only cut! A secret weapon to other kids American kids, and some lower social income families a long time me.